News

Not really related to the Elder Scrolls (but perhaps related to any future ES games that might surface) but interesting none-the-less is a new interview with Pete Hines that covers the modding situation with Bethesda's soon to be released Fallout 3. Here's a snippet:

QUOTE

RPS: Getting more technical - care to talk about the mod situation?

Folk probably took for granted that every time we make a game, there's a mod tool. We explained to folk that it takes a lot of time and effort to get that tool ready for release, and it's not on our schedule right now. We need to get the game done and out. It's not to say we won't do it. It's that right now we have an enormous amount of work to do, for three platforms and all these different languages to get it out around the wall. Right now, we can't say definitively “there will be mod tools, and here is when they'll be out”. That work remains to be done.

I'm not sure if I "take it for granted" so much as I take it as an awesome feature of a game that sets it aside from most other games out there. The question I ask myself is "Would I like Morrowind and Oblivion as much as I do now if they didn't come with a construction set?", the answer is a resounding no. They're good games made excellent by a strong and talented modding community that compliments the great job Bethesda did on providing the construction set on day one of the game's releases.

I wish Bethesda success with Fallout 3, I know I'll be buying it, but a part of me hopes that they'll get bitten in the backside a little for this. Not anything major, just something that causes a little resentment in the Bethesda ranks and makes them look back and think "gosh, I think we should have released the SDK with the game!". Selfish and unlikely, I know, but hell...here's to honesty!

To me Bethesda set a precedent in the gaming community with Morrowind and Oblivion by releasing their SDK with the game (or on the day of the game's release); a good example to other developers of what they can be doing to both better support their community and boost sales at the same time. This latest step with Fallout 3 seems like a step backwards in my book.

It's something I'll be watching closely over the coming months. I'm interested to see if it will have any effect on the Fallout 3 community.